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Hmm. This is very concerning to me. Just googled 'Roland Cube hiss problem' and found several links of, yeah, this 'documented' issue. Just read the one long thread over at the Gear Page. This all seems eerily like the Mustang issue all over again...
Several posts indicate that it's based on the detail of not having a grounding third prong on the plug that leads to the problem. Just checked and I already have a three-prong on mine. So far I've not heard a bit of unwanted noise with my 80XL (nor any noise gate artifacts either, which I heard mentioned). Others cite having several FX running while playing. I'm playing in my quiet living room with the amp so far, not at very loud levels nor at competing-with-a-drummer volume either (and only a smidge of reverb usually), so I'll try out a few things later tonight with more volume and FX added in an attempt to 'force' the issue. Gulp.
I sure hope that mine is one of the good ones cuz so far, I've been loving the tone...
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09-24-2013 10:37 AM
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I'm of the opinion that many "fizz" issues encountered when using digital amps may be caused by the jazz guitarist's practice of rolling volume down to 6 or 7 to cut the highs. In so doing, you may be underdriving the analog to digital converter at the amp's front end, which the converter is making up with digital artifacts...."fizz" on note decay.
In running my ES-175 full strength, much better result.
Just my 2cents.
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After I get a cup of coffee down I'll make and post a YT vid demonstrating the Cube 40xl fizz issue. I'll try to address all of the solutions I've seen proposed here.
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How soon I forget. FYI, here's a thread form our own forum discussing this topic... Roland Cube Hiss
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Strangest thing, y'all...I was having trouble getting the fizz to come through clearly on the video I was going to make (some irony in that), so I moved the rig from my bedroom to the living room and plugged into a surge protector I hadn't used before. And voila, no fizz! Dead silent, even with my tele's single coils (which were never the issue), volume/tone cranked, rolled back, reverb/no verb, everything. Thinking the surge protector must be the magic talisman in this equation, I swiped it from the living room and set back up in the bedroom. Fizz came back in full force. So I'm definitely convinced it's some sort of grounding/dirty power/circuitry issue, rather than a shitty digital processor issue. Still highly annoying, but it tells me that the fizz might not be an issue for someone whose house wasn't wired by Thomas Edison.
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I just tried to get my 80XL to hiss/fizz. I tried cranking it up and with volume set at 10 o'clock. I tried all models. I tried all effects turned all the way up, individually and all at once, in each amp model and in JC Clean. Couldn't hear any hiss, fizz, or hum, playing or not. Problem is, I have heard it before. I have been in a new house since last January, and I can't say for sure I've ever heard it here. I'm beginning to think the power source could have an effect. And BTW, I have a three pronged plug.
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As stated, often hiss is introduced into amps via a non-grounded electrical outlet. Many if not most houses built before the 60's have knob and tube wiring which is not grounded. I found out after a home inspection that just because you have a 3-pronged outlet, that doesn't mean the ground is connected. (You can test this with a voltmeter.) It's actually kind of hard to find old 2-pronged outlets to install these days, so many contractors just use a 3-prong with the ground disconnected.
There can also of course be issues with instrument grounding and circuit grounding in the amp. Lots of potential for gremlins there.
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Well this is the first I've heard of a fizz issue (or any quality issue, really) with the Cubes. A bit concerning, given that the entire reason I'm in the amp market is to replace an amp with a fizz issue! I guess if I do go the Cube route I'll want to make sure it has a ground prong and use a surge protector. Unfortunately modern technology hasn't reached the South Pacific yet, so all of our houses are still wired according to Edison's original schematics.
It does indeed... thanks for that!
Originally Posted by ooglybong
Jay
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I played a MustangIII a long period. I liked it with solidbody guitars. Although the overdriven sound are not realistic, kind of artificial.
But it was impossible to achieve a good sound with my archtop guitars.
What really bothered me was the process of time wasting programming.
I sold it and replaced it with a Peavey Bandit (good sounding, analog, down to earth amp and reliable) wich I compared with the Cube and never looked back...
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I should also mention something Cosmic Gumbo mentioned on my New Amp Day thread about the Cube XL 40...this is the quietest 40 watt amp I've ever played. I've only used it for solo practice so far, but I can't imagine it would keep up with a drummer using sticks. Not a problem for this bedroom jammer, but a gigging player should probably go up a size from what he expects would work at the type of gigs he's playing, getting the 80-watter for drums, bass, and piano quartet, for example. Seems they went overboard with the built-in noise gate/limiter. Particularly frustrating since, as we've been discussing, it doesn't always eliminate extraneous noise. One solution I've read is to keep the guitar's volume knob cranked a little higher than you're used to. I've noticed a more pronounced effect than usual when I adjust the guitar's volume from halfway or so up towards full, like there's a spike in the signal that kicks in at some point. Not so useful for in-song adjustments, but there is a sweet spot somewhere in there that rounds out the JC channel sound very nicely.
Lastly, I should point out that just using a decent power strip alone didn't eliminate the fizz in my case. Had to use a different outlet as well. Roland has a pdf on noise issues (which they are officially "unaware of"
) in which they recommend using a power conditioner or uninterruptible power supply. So, you know, just tack on an extra $70-200 (USD) to the cost of your amp, and you're good to go...not that Roland officially acknowledges there being a problem. All that said, I really do love this amp, having found a setup in my house in which the fizz is eliminated. Seems like Roland could have shelled out the extra dollar to put a three-pronger on there and made life easier for all of us though.
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Well, yesterday I spent a good amount of time in the shop testing out both the Mustang II and the Cube 40, and ended up walking out with the Cube. The Mustang may sound great with some tweaking on the PC, who knows. I couldn't figure out how to do much fine tuning on the amp itself, which speaks to its user-friendliness. The Cube, on the other hand, sounded pretty great right away.
I got the new GX version and it has a ground prong. So far there is no hum or fizz, quiet as a mouse... so fingers crossed. Thanks again for the input, everyone; I really appreciate it.
Now all I need to do is learn how to play jazz and I'll be all set!
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Congratulations on being able to make your decision, Jay. Sounds like you made the right one if you're looking for a jazz sound, IMO. Really, I've used both (still do) and that's exactly what I would have done (esp if you got the newest Cube series which would hopefully have addressed any noise issues—not that I have any on my 80XL so far). And you do still have those other amp models there, too, if you want. So, past that, yeah, just use that grounded plug into a reliable power supply (as with any amp) and you should be good to go! Originally Posted by Jehu
Now that the amp part's theoretically over (Ha! for a while!), just concentrate on learning to play that jazz...
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Has anyone tried the JHS Clover preamp pedal?
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